Overview

HOW TO FIX Railway SLEEPERS TOGETHER?

WHAT DO WE RECOMMEND?
Everyday we are asked how to fasten railway sleepers. In the past we'd have mentioned coach bolts etc.. NOW we always say 'TimberLok'. I know that that seems really cheesy, like 'I always use Persil to remove those stubborn stains', but genuinely they ARE fantastic.

When we first received a visit from TimberLok's secret agents, we decided to set them a tough test:
1) "Drill through softwood railway sleepers". Their screws easily went through pine railway sleepers without pre-drilling, and pulled the screw heads flush with the surface.
2) "Drill through hardwood Oak, Jarrah, & Azobe railway sleepers"
We found that the screws STILL went in, although with more of an effort. These hardwood railway sleepers are much harder than softwood, with more pressure put on both the drill & screw. We did find that the concrete-like hardness of the Azobe caused several screws to sheer.

OUR CONCLUSION:   "Genuinely great!"
- they install much faster and easier than coach screws or coach bolts
- they generally requires no pre-drilling (with the exception of some dense hardwoods)
- they countersink flush into all but the hardest timbers
- they draw warped beams down and can normally be removed and reused
- designed not to rust in pressure treated timber, except in saltwater settings.
- the 'anti-friction topcoat' allows it to penatrate hardwood more easily than other screws.

TOP SECRET!  The TimberLok secret agent went on about titanium and the space rocket or something.. Hi-tec you see...! 

DRILL REQUIREMENTS

1) You must use a drill that is sufficiently powerful - with high torque and low speed settings. This would normally be a mains drill, although there are some powerful 18v and 24v rechargeable drills that are also very effective. Originally, the Timberlok agent recommended the Metabo BE75-16 75Nm Compact high torque rotary drill 240v.  It is very high torque but does not have a clutch. It works fine as long as you are holding it with both hands and have a firm grip on it. If not, the drill will keep turning and flip out of your hands – please take care! Of course there are now lots of other makes and models available on the market. WARNING. We have had customer's drills that have failed to be powerful enough.
2) YOU MUST PRE-DRILL any hardwood railway sleepers that are particularly tough (e.g. Azobe and tropical hardwood) with a 6mm wood drill that will ease the insertion of the screw (you can order one of these on the website), otherwise the screws may get stuck or potentially snap. Drill into the railway sleeper about a cm at a time, and then withdraw the wood drill, so as to clear the wood shavings from the hole, and then drill a bit further.  If you don't do this, the drill may overheat, smoke, and eventually bend, snap or go blunt. You may also have to countersink the hex head, as the TimberLok screw may not pull itself flush into hardwood timber. 
3) If you manage to insert the TimberLok screws into very hard sleepers without pre-drilling, and then you decide to take them out at a later date, you may find that the screw sheers or snaps.

TIPS FOR USING TIMBERLOK SCREWS
Only 50mm (approx 2") of the end of the screw actually screws into the railway sleeper. So, if you want to attach, say, a 150mm thick railway sleeper to another railway sleeper, you will need a 200mm screw. (The 50mm end of the timberlok will go all the way through the first 150mm thick railway sleeper, and then screw 50mm into the second railway sleeper, and clamp them together)  Ring us if you're unsure!

IT IS EASIER TO UNSCREW a TimberLok screw that has been put into a softwood railway sleeper (e.g. new pine) than into hardwood (e.g. oak). These screws tighten up so powerfully, locking together the sleepers with enormous pressure, that in a hardwood, it sometimes almost 'welds' itself to the railway sleeper making it harder to screw it out again. So, make sure everything's correctly in position before you screw it up tightly.

DIMENSIONS OF A TIMBERLOK SCREW
The ‘stem’ of the timberlok screw is about 6mm. The actual screw part that cuts through the timber (the last 50mm of the Timberlok screw) is about 8mm. The Hex head is about 10mm, and the wider ‘washer’ type shape below the hex head is 12mm. The diameter of the hexbit that drives the Timberlok into the timber is also 12mm. If you want to countersink the whole Timberlok screw so that it ends up flush with the surface of the wood, you will need the countersink hole to be a fraction bigger than the 12mm diameter of the hexbit, so that the hexbit will slot inside. 

TECHNICAL STUFF

TimberLok screws are engineered for increased strength and performance.
(info supplied by the manufacturer)
Average ultimate single shear = 1359kg
Average TimberLok pullout strength = 658kg
Straight shank spike = 156kg
Spiral shank spike = 193kg

SPECIAL OFFER ON SILVER SCREWS!
We are offering some similar looking SLEEPER SCREWS that are manufactured by a different company that are coloured 'SILVER'  rather than BLACK and which are presently on offer.

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE!
Please help us spread the word! If you've found our website helpful or inspiring please leave feedback or  'Like us' on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.  A simple way of letting people know  "This is a really  useful website!"  Thanks
             

Extra Info